Reading the G and E strings · From Zero to Mozart

Now the outer two strings — the G string below the staff on ledger lines, the E string climbing above it. Same job as before, in less familiar territory.

The G string — below the staff

54 bpm

All below the staff, all on the G string. Count from middle C, or up from open G.

The E string — above the staff

54 bpm

E string, on and above the top space. Remember F and G here are low fingers, right by the open string.

A line across the middle strings

54 bpm

Open G, open D, open A, then 3rd-finger D — a climb across three strings. Read each one from its anchor.

The usual mistake

On the G string, panicking at the ledger lines and losing the high-2 B. On the E string, playing F♯ and G♯ from habit when the notation — in C, G or D — may want F♮ and G♮. Check the key before the finger drops.

Try

Play the G-string line, then the E-string line, back to back. Notice your eye travelling from well below the staff to well above it — that whole range is first position.